Neighboring the immense Yongsan American Garrison,
Itaewon was once shunned by locals as a seedy, red
light district. But within the past few years, Itaewon
and its surrounding neighborhoods such as Kyunglidan
and Haebangchong have undergone a major revival to
quickly become one of Seoul’s hottest areas. Here,
trendy international restaurants dot the area
alongside hip lounge bars and some of Seoul’s hottest
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club venues. After dark, Itaewon comes into its own as
one of Seoul’s top party scenes. The crowd is a
fascinating patchwork of all backgrounds and
identities, including a small but thriving Muslim
community (centered on Korea’s sole mosque), the LGBT
community (with a string of popular bars and clubs),
and a wide range of ethnicities and cultures scattered
around. Those seeking a quiet respite should head
towards the eastern end, in Hannam-dong, which not
only has one of Korea’s best art museums, the Leeum
Samsung Museum of Art, but plenty of mid-range to
upscale restaurants and cafes.
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